


For Warmth

by watermelonriddles



Category: Good Girls (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2019-08-30
Packaged: 2020-09-30 17:33:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20450912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/watermelonriddles/pseuds/watermelonriddles
Summary: “You alright?” he asks, voice thick with sleep.“I just figured…”When Rio speaks next, he sounds a little more awake although his voice is still soft. “Figured what?”She swallows. “Well, it might be warmer if we slept together.”“Sleeping together, huh?”It’s obvious that he knows exactly what she meant but Beth can just hear the smug look on his face. When he turns over to face her, she actually sees it and she rolls her eyes a little at him. As he grins at her, she shoves him.





	For Warmth

**Author's Note:**

> This was entirely self indulgent but honestly, you can blame [this tweet](https://twitter.com/neatao3tags/status/1167209861916090368) as well.
> 
> Set some time after 2x09 only Beth never tried to get out book club.

For once in her life, Beth would really like for something to go right without any kind of repercussion later. The universe didn’t seem to be in agreement, however, because of course, their drop had to go wrong. It took a long time for her to stop shaking and for the sound of guns to stop ringing in her ears. The fact that she kept replaying the entire thing in her head didn’t help.

_Stop,_ Rio had said to her once they were far enough away. _We ain’t hit so quit worrying._

Beth turns a little in her seat to peer out of the back window of Rio’s car. It’s clear, just like it was the last however many times she had looked. She can’t help it though, needs to be sure.

“I don’t need a lookout,” Rio tells her. “We lost them ages ago.”

She sits back in her seat and glances over at him. He’s told her that before and she _knows_ they’re not being followed anymore - that they haven’t been for several hours now - but she can’t help but worry. Rio’s slouched ever so slightly on his seat, both hands on the wheel and driving slow enough to combat the layers of snow and ice that are the ground.

“Aren’t you tired?” 

The drop had been pretty late, close to midnight, and they had been driving ever since. By the time they got far enough North for the snow to be deeper and the ice to be thicker, it was daylight outside. Beth had tried to tell him to pull over, to take a break, but he had taken one look at her twitchy attitude and shook his head. She felt bad that she couldn’t control just how jumpy she was feeling nor could she feign it just so he would stop.

“Nah.” Rio glances over at her and she gives him a disbelieving look. He rolls his eyes before looking back out at the road. “A little but we nearly there.”

“I could drive the rest of the way and you could sleep.”

He scoffs. “You ain’t driving my car.”

Beth would be offended but looking out at the scenery passing by them, she can’t remember the last time she drove in this kind of weather and she’s not entirely sure she _could_ drive his car. Sinking into her seat, she hugs her arms around herself. 

“You’re stubborn,” she tells him. “We could’ve pulled over.”

“And have you waking me up every five seconds ‘cause you hear a noise?”

“I’m not _that_ jumpy.”

He looks amused but doesn’t say anything. “Almost there.”

She opens her mouth to say something when he slows the car down and brings it to a halt at the side of the road. Looking around, Beth can’t see anything but trees and a lot of snow. Even the road they’ve been travelling down is mostly covered.

“What…?”

Rio motions ahead and Beth’s eyes squint a little as she looks out. It takes a moment but then she sees it. A fallen tree branch covering the road. There’s no way around it and she’s pretty sure neither of them could move it even if they worked together.

“We’re gonna have to walk,” he says before she can ask.

“Walk?” She’s barely been able to stay warm in his car and the outside does not look inviting at all.

“Uh huh.” He pats her leg. “That thing you do with these.”

Beth narrows her eyes at him but he’s already getting out of the car. He’s at the trunk, moving things around inside of it when she finally decides to get out. It’s colder than she had braced for and she immediately wants to climb back inside. 

“It ain’t far,” he says as he shuts the trunk. “Few minutes top.”

“A few minutes?” she asks because she doesn’t believe him.

“Depending on how fast you walk.”

She huffs out a breath as she yanks on her gloves. Just as she’s about to zip her jacket up to the top, Rio steps forward. She pauses as she looks him over. He’s got his own jacket buttoned up around a scarf. His beanie is pulled down a little further than normal and he too is wearing gloves. She spots the other scarf in his hands just as he wraps it around her neck. She watches carefully, hoping that the cold has made her skin red enough already to cover up any kind of blush.

“Just watch where you step,” he tells her as he tucks the ends of the scarf inside of her jacket and zips it up the rest of the way. “And it should be quick.”

When he steps back Beth nods a little, suddenly feeling a little speechless. A scarf is such a simple thing but she doesn’t know how to say a simple thank you in return. It seems like too much and not enough all that once. It’s not that he hasn’t been affectionate with her - she thinks of the many times he’s pushed her hair out of her face or the way his fingers had ghosted across her skin after they had sex for the second time - but a gesture was something entirely different. The dubby had been for Jane (at least that’s what Beth told herself) and she just… Something so simple like a scarf was really throwing her.

He doesn’t seem to be waiting for any kind of thanks which helps a bit. So instead she pulls her hood up and shoves her hands into her pockets. Rio tries not to smile as he motions with his head to the trees behind him. As she looks towards them, he turns around and begins to head in that direction.

“Right,” Beth mumbles to herself because _of course,_ they’re going to walk among the trees and not follow the road.

* * *

Walking had been much better than Beth anticipated but still a pain nonetheless. The snow was deep enough that the ends of her jeans were almost completely soaked through. At least the path was easy enough to traverse, especially considering she followed Rio’s path. It was a little rocky and wet but it was the cold that got to her the most.

Her chest feels tight, sore with every breath, and the rest of her body aches almost as much. It hadn’t taken long for her hands and feet to feel numb. It takes everything in her not to stop to take a break. She’s pretty confident that it’s been more than a few minutes of walking when suddenly a cabin comes into view.

“Here we are,” Rio says as he picks up his pace.

She slows ever so slightly and takes a breath as Rio goes up to the front door. They’ve reached a clearing that’s just big enough to allow some extra space for a couple of fo parked cars. There’s an opening in the trees to the left that she guesses must be the road they would’ve taken. The cabin itself doesn’t look very big but all Beth can think about is that it’ll be warmer inside.

Picking up her speed, Beth reaches the front door that Rio has left open. She closes it right behind her. He’s moving to open up some curtains to the left of the cabin as her eyes adjust. It’s basically one giant room. To the left is a small kitchen area with a small table and chairs as well as a room with a door that Beth assumes is the bathroom. On the wall opposite to where she stands, there’s a large fireplace with a couch and two armchairs in front of it. To the left, on a small platform, there’s a double bed with shelves and wardrobes all around it and a trunk at the end. Despite the abundance of storage and the little details (like dishes in the kitchen, a blanket on the couch, decorative pillows on the bed), it doesn’t look like it’s regularly lived in.

“What you looking for?” Rio asks as she glances around the room.

“I want to turn the heating on.”

Rio laughs suddenly behind her. She turns slowly to look at him. He’s not even trying to hide his amusement as he looks her over. Her body still aches from the cold and she really doesn’t have time for him to mess around.

“_What_?” she demands, voice coming out more exasperated than she intended.

He licks his lips. “There ain’t no heating.”

She narrows her eyes, craning her head a little to the side as if to hear him better. “Come again?” 

“That-” he points at the fireplace “-is what we got to work with.”

“You’ve got to be joking.” Rio just shakes his head and she blinks a few times at the fireplace in disbelieve before her eyes fall on the lamps that are situated between the couch and the armchairs. “There’s electricity but no heating?”

He shrugs. “We had a small generator. Don’t work no more though.”

Beth groans. “Great. So it’s going to be cold and dark.”

“Ma, it’s fine,” Rio says, voice laced with amusement. “Take a seat and I’ll sort everything out.”

She doesn’t disagree. Instead, she heads over to the couch where she sits down and immediately pulls the blanket around herself. While Rio disappears outside, she settles back and closes her eyes for a moment.

* * *

The next thing Beth knows, Rio is shaking her gently and saying her name. She blinks a little and when her eyes settle on him, he’s sat on the couch beside her. He’s got a mug in his hand - tea if she had to guess. He holds it out to her so she quickly sits up and pulls off her gloves. When she reaches for it, she lets out a sigh of relief has the heat from it warms her hands.

As she sips on the tea, she notices that the fire is on and that Rio has changed clothes. He’s got on black sweat pants and a dark green sweater that has a neckline low enough for her to see that he’s also wearing a black t-shirt underneath. Other than a pair of thick socks, there are no more layers. She looks down at the fact that she’s still got her jacket, scarf, and beanie on. 

“I got some clothes you can use,” Rio says.

He’s settled back against the couch now, his arm running along the back of it, right behind where she sits. She drinks some more of her tea, nodding her head a little.

“Did you sleep?”

“Not yet.” He motions to her cup. “Had some tea first and you ain’t been out that long.”

“It’s warming up,” she admits.

At that, he grins a little. “Told you it would be fine.”

“Yeah.” She rolls her eyes a little. “You did.”

When she’s done with her tea, Rio takes the cup from her and motions towards the bed. She waits for him to get up first before she does. Everything in her body seems to crack and she groans a little at how stiff she feels. After a moment of getting used to being on her feet again, she first wanders towards the front door where she hangs her jacket, scarf, and beanie with Rio’s things and sets her shoes beside his.

Over by the bed, she finds some clothes - a navy blue t-shirt, a pair of grey sweatpants, and some thick socks - waiting for her. Glancing over her shoulder, she finds Rio in the kitchen with his back to her. She could go to the bathroom but it feels like an awfully long way away so instead, she turns her back on him and tries to make swift work of changing.

By the time she’s done and turned around with her clothes grasped in her arms, Rio is watching her. He’s leaning back against the counter, eyes scanning over her and she swallows a little around the lump that’s beginning to form.

“You can put them in there,” Rio says as he motions to one of the wardrobes on her left.

She heads towards it and opens it up to find various clothes hanging up including the ones Rio had been wearing before. She hangs her own clothes up before her fingers ghost over the rest of the clothes. There’s a lot of sweaters in varying colours, all dark, and each of them is soft to the touch. She wonders if they’re Rio’s, if the cabin is.

“Is this yours?” she asks, motioning generally to the space around them as she goes to sit back down on the couch.

“Uh huh.” He comes to join her, choosing to sit right beside her like he had before. “Ain’t been here for a while though.”

“What are you gonna do about the drop?”

“Nothing right now.” He stretches out causing his sweater and the t-shirt beneath to rise ever so slightly and Beth tries not to stare, she really does. “Gonna sleep first.”

“I’m surprised you haven’t collapsed yet.”

“Slept a little before the drop.” His eyes fall to her lap and she quickly realises that she’s been rubbing her hands together absent-mindedly. “Still cold?”

“A little,” she admits. “But I’m warming up.”

He scoffs. “Always was a shitty liar.”

“I’m a great liar,” Beth says, holding her chin up a little but then he smiles and _fuck_. “Fine, so I’m lying but it’s really cold.”

“It’s warm.”

She narrows her eyes before reaching over to place her hand against his neck. He yelps in a way she’s never heard before and it makes her laugh. His skin is boiling hot and it makes her own hand feel ice cold in comparison. His fingers wrap around her wrist so he can pull her hand away. As he glares at her, she just grins.

“Something wrong with you,” he mutters.

“It’s cold,” she clarifies.

He scoffs. “You’ll warm up when you’re curled up in bed.”

Beth watches as he adjusts the cushions at the other end of the couch and it hits her that he plans to sleep there so she can have the bed. She tries to ignore how disappointing that feels as she looks between him and the bed.

“Elizabeth?”

“You should take the bed,” she decides which earns her a curious look. “The couch is closer to the fire so it’ll keep me warm because you clearly don’t need it.”

He seems to mull that over. “You sure?”

“Yes.”

Rio nods his head a little before he gets up from the couch. He steps away from it but pauses, watching her as she adjusts the pillows and lays down. As she wraps the blanket around herself, she’s sure she can see him smile before he finally heads over to the bed.

* * *

Beth’s not entirely sure how much time has passed when she opens her eyes again. The light streaming in the window by the kitchen is much brighter now. She looks towards the bed, Rio only just visible. She sits up slowly. It’s definitely a lot warmer now and she doesn’t ache as much as she had before but the temptation to join him overwhelms her.

They haven’t been physically close over the past few months, not since they had sex in her bedroom, not since she almost left. Sure he’s pushed her hair out of her face since then and he stands and sits a hell of a lot closer to her than he seems to with anyone else but it’s all different. She misses it, misses him. The temptation to reach out and touch him is always there. Now, stuck in this cabin with the perfect excuse, it’s almost impossible to push that temptation down.

Quietly, she gets up from the couch and practically tiptoes over to the bed. When she settles down onto it, Rio stirs a little but remains where he is. She slips beneath the covers and wraps her arms around him. He groans a little as she presses a kiss against his back.

“You alright?” he asks, voice thick with sleep.

“I just figured…” 

When Rio speaks next, he sounds a little more awake although his voice is still soft. “Figured what?”

She swallows. “Well, it might be warmer if we slept together.”

“Sleeping together, huh?”

It’s obvious that he knows exactly what she meant but Beth can just _hear _the smug look on his face. When he turns over to face her, she actually sees it and she rolls her eyes a little at him. As he grins at her, she shoves him.

“You’re so infuriating.”

He laughs at that, his arm snaking around her to pull her in close. “Yeah?”

They’re so close now that there’s almost no space between them. Her eyes flick from his eyes down to his lips. If she were to just lean over ever slightly she could press her lips against his. She still remembers how soft they were, wonders what he might taste like this time, but she doesn’t find out. Instead, she rolls over so that her back is to him.

“Yeah, the most infuriating person I’ve ever met.”

This time when Rio laughs its softer, more breathless. He pulls her back against her chest. His arm slips along her waist as he curls himself around her. Beth melts back against him, letting out a sigh of relief. He buries his face against her hair and breathes her in. It’s so much better than she thought it would be. Rio so close to her, arms tight around her body. It overwhelms her just how normal and right it all feels. In fact, it's all she can think about as she drifts off to sleep.


End file.
